We have an old fibro-cement garage. The walls are cracked, the roof is a rusted ruin, the floor is uneven. It needs to be replaced and my husband has been looking at prepack steel sheds to see whether one of them be a suitable replacement.
I would love to have a greenhouse, especially one with electricity and water connected. If I had a greenhouse you would always know where to find me! Alas, our suburban block is too small to have both a greenhouse and a garage. Dear Husband is correct in saying we need a garage, and it makes sense to build a slightly bigger garage than the existing one so he will have space for his woodworking tools. It makes sense, all right... but I wish...
I had a flash of inspiration. Could we put a greenhouse on top of the garage? Have a two-storey combined garage/workshop/greenhouse? I loved the idea immediately. Imagine it - a possum-proof vegetable garden - a warm sheltered spot for the hydroponic tomatoes and cannas - electricity for the hydroponic pumps - a safe pond space for Katherine's fish. In my imagination I have already begun to design it. The staircase annexe can incorporate a water tank to store rain runoff from the roof. There can be solar panels along the north-facing knee wall.
Obviously such a building would cost considerably more than a simple steel shed. There's the rub. Our pension income is limited (particularly worrying now that financial institutions seem a bit tottery) so we won't be able to afford it unless we win Lotto. I am on my way to buy a ticket now!
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3 comments:
I'm thinking of doing something like this, did you get any further with your project?
No, we have not built this utopia yet. Still hoping, though.
With all the interest in green roofs at present it should be easy to get council permission to build.
I was thinking along the lines of hydroponic veggies, rather than "green" roofing intended for insulation. Design possibilities depend on the application - are you interested backyard food production or are you going high tech?
You have probably looked at Greenroofs.com and cityfarmer. Lots of ideas.
Cheers, IB
I have a small garden, and I need a garage to house my campervan, so I'm thinking of ways I can use the garage roof rather than losing the space. At the moment a greenhouse or a couple of raised beds are my favourites, but I'm not sure about the weight!
Could also go for a beehive.....
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